One conventional vehicle light 400 is illustrated as a conceptual diagram in FIG. 1. This type of vehicle light 400 can be configured to include a lens body 410 having a recess, and a light source (such as an LED light source) 420 disposed within the recess of the lens body 410. The lens body 410 can include optical surfaces (including an incident surface 414a, a reflecting surface 412a, and a projecting surface 411a) that are configured to form a predetermined light distribution pattern, and connecting surfaces 416 and the like which shape and define the structure of the lens body by connecting the optical surfaces, but which do not engage in the formation of the light distribution pattern). In the vehicle light 400, the lens body 410 can include a recess and the LED light source 420 can be disposed within the recess so that the light emitted by the LED light source 420 can be guided toward the lens body and reflected to form a predetermined light distribution pattern (see for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-11704).
Another exemplary vehicle light (500) is illustrated in FIG. 2, which has a similar configuration as compared to the conventional vehicle light shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows the vehicle light 500 including a lens body 510 having optical surfaces and connecting surfaces, and an LED light source 520. The vehicle light 500 can include a lens body 510 including optical surfaces (including an incident surface 514a, a reflecting surface 512a, and a projecting surface 511a) and connecting surfaces (surfaces 516, 512b and the like), and an LED light source 520. In this case, due to the design requirement or the size of the lens body 510, a resin injection trace 516a (or gate trace) that remains from the injection molding process may be reflected in the adjacent connecting surface 512b surrounding the reflecting surface 512a. This reflected image may be observed through the projecting surface 511a, thereby adversely affecting the appearance (as a product value).
A vehicle light is also disclosed in Applicant's co-pending patent application, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/820,117, filed on same date, Jun. 21, 2010, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
Furthermore, in the vehicle light 500 in which the lens body 510 can include the reflecting surface 512a and the connecting surface 512b surrounding the reflecting surface 512a on the same plane (on the same side surface), the shape of the lens body 510 may be limited due to its size and/or design requirement. In addition, the light emitted from the LED light source having a wide light directivity can be available within the lens body 510 in a limited amount. Due to these and other reasons, the light emitted from the LED light source 520 and entering the lens body 510 may partly enter the connecting surface to be reflected by the same, so that the light may exit the lens body 510 through the projecting surface and become glare light.